Nina Wadia to host BBC Radio 4 appeal against Anti-Trafficking for the British Asian Trust

Award-winning actress and British Asian Trust ambassador, Nina Wadia will present a BBC Radio 4 appeal on Sunday 5th February, to increase awareness about human trafficking and raise donations to help fight against it, as part of The Trust’s drive to transform the future of South Asia. The broadcast will be aired twice, at 7.55am and again at 9.26pm. The appeal will be repeated on Monday 9th February at 3.27pm.

Around 22.5 million South Asians suffer violence, trafficking and abuse, including sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, child labour, forced marriage, bride-buying and sex tourism. Around 70% of victims are female and one in three are children. Extreme poverty and lack of education means that 70% of victims are illiterate and 50% earn less than $1 per day. An astonishing 40,000 children are reported abducted each year, with 11,000 untraced. In addition, 53% of children have reported sexual abuse.

Nina Wadia said: “I feel so proud to deliver this anti-trafficking appeal for the British Asian Trust on BBC Radio 4, to help protect the welfare of children and young people in South Asia. I am hugely passionate about this cause and share a vision with the Trust to eliminate trafficking and enable all young people to fully achieve their potential and help shape the future of South Asia.”

Richard Hawkes, CEO, British Asian Trust said: “We’re thrilled to have our ambassador Nina Wadia supporting us with our anti-trafficking campaign. The Indian Government reported a 25% increase in trafficking in 2015, which is a disturbing statistic. At the British Asian Trust, our vision is to protect children and young people from trafficking and abuse, while also rehabilitating victims. By forging partnerships with frontline organisations, stakeholders and the Government, we hope to work collaboratively to increase impact and raise awareness.”

So far, the charity has supported 9,500 girls and 18,600 families to improve safety, which includes collaboration with police and education officials, community supervision and links to key influencers.

The British Asian Trust, one of The Prince’s Charities and the UK’s leading organisation for British Asian philanthropy,supports the development of a South Asia that maximises the potential of its people, and that is free from inequality and injustice.